Vehicle speed controller



y 1941- c. A. VATTER 2,248,314

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROLLER Fil ed Sept. 13, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I /V VE/V TOR.

' Cum): /4. VM'TER. BX

17 TTOH/VEX y 1941- c. A. VATTER 2,248,314

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROLLER Filed Sept. 15, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVE/V TOR. Gun/0.: fl. VHTTER.

I coupling.

Patented July 8, 1941 2348,3145 VEHICLESBEED. CON TROLLER Claude A; Vatter, Long Beacli,-C'alif. Application sept'ember'13, 1937-, SerialNo, 163,529.

rel-aim.. (o1. izr-nei This invention relates to a--vehicle speed con-- troller wherein the fuel supply to' the engineis governed by thespeed of the vehicle and: overspeeding of the'vehicle will causethe controller to shut offthe fuel supply; to "the engine;

An object ofmyinvention is to provide a novel vehicle speed controller in which the throttle valve is opened and closed by means of a motor, the motor in turn being controlled by a speed sensitive appliance.

A further object is to provide a novel vehicle speed controller in which a Vacuum actuated motor operates a throttle, the vacuum motor being controlled in its movements by a speed sensitive device.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from the accompanying drawings, the subjoined detailed description and the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatical side elevation of my controller mounted on a motor.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of my controller. Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the same. Figure 4 is a side elevation of the transmission Figure 5 is a side elevation of the controller.

Figure 6 is an enlarged rear view of the vacuum motor with parts broken away to show interior construction.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the speed controller I is mounted between the carburetor 2, and the manifold 3 of the engine.

The speed sensitive device of the controller is driven from the drive shaft, transmission or wheels of the vehicle as will be further described.

The speed controller comprises a fitting 4 which is mounted between the carburetor and the manifold, and is suitably flanged so as to be bolted to the carburetor and manifold substantially as shown.

A throttle valve 5 is mounted on the fitting 4 on a shaft 6. This shaft is journaled in the fitting and extends horizontally into the motor 1. This motor is preferably of the vacuum type, in which 'a piston 8 is moved from one side to the other of the cylinder 9, under the urge of a partial vacuum created in the engine.

The piston 8 is fixedly attached to the shaft 6 and it will be evident that movement of the piston will cause the shaft to rotate, thereby swinging the valve 5 into either open or closed position.

A vacuum tube I0 extends from the intake manifold of the engine to the valve chest ll. Within the valve chest there are provided ducts IZ'and. l3,- whichiextend from the atmosphere to A duct I4 extends to v either side of "the pistonfl'. the" vacuum tube" I05 and this latter duct is arranged between the'ducts' l2" and i3; An oscillating valve l5-is journaled-loosely on the shaft 6 and-is provided-'witha' conduit which joins either the ducts l4 and I3, or M and 52, depending upon the position of the valve. Utilizing the shaft 6, which carries the throttle valve 5 and is rocked by the piston 8, as a bearing means for the swingable valve I5, is a valuable feature of the invention, because it economizes space and reduces cost of manufacture.

When the ducts I4 and [3 are connected as shown in Figure 6, there will be a partial vacuum to the right of the piston 8, while atmospheric pressure will be exerted on the left face of the piston. Again referring to Figure 6, if the valve I5 is swung to the left so as to connect the ducts l4 and 12, the piston 8 will be moved towards the left, due to the partial vacuum on the left face of the piston, and atmospheric pressure on the right face of the same.

It will thus be evident that the valve 5 can be opened or closed by means of the motor 1, the piston of this motor being controlled by the valve IS. The valve I5 is actuated by the speed sensitive device IS. The speed sensitive device I6 and the motor 1 are both fixedly attached to a frame I1, the frame in turn being fixedly mounted on the fitting 4.

The speed sensitive device consists of a horizontal shaft l8 journaled in the frame 11. The shaft I8 is rotated by the flexible shaft H9 at a speed proportionate to the speed of the vehicle. The flexible shaft l9 extends to the gear box 28 and this gear box is in turn driven by either the transmission, the drive shaft, or the wheels of the vehicle.

A fly ball governor 2| is mounted on the shaft 18 and is driven thereby. The balls 22 of the governor are each mounted on an arm 23, the inner end of which arm engages one face of the spool 24. This spool is slidably mounted on the shaft IS. The sliding movement of the spool 24 is opposed by the spring 25, which surrounds the shaft I8. As the fly ball governor 2| operates, it tends to slide the spool 24 along the shaft l8 and against the tension of the spring 25.

A link 26 is pivoted to the rear face of the motor I and the outer end of this link is formed as a clevis to engage the spool 26. The inner end of the link 26 extends into the bifurcated end 21 of the valve l5.

Thus, as the spool 24 slides along the shaft l8 under the urge of the governor 2| and spring 25, the link 26 will swing the valve IE to .'control the ducts I2, l3 and M. A spring 28 is attached to the valve l5, tending to hold the valve in a position so that the piston 8 will be in the position shown in Figure 6 with the valve 5 open.

In operation, as soon as the motor starts, the valve 5 will be held in open position. The usual throttle of the vehicle will control the speed of the motor in the usual and Well known manner. As the vehicle moves forwardly, the governor 2| will swing, and if the speed of the vehicle is too high, the spool 24 will be slid along the shaft IB by the governor, whereupon the link 26 will swing the valve [6 to a position where the vacuum of the engine will create a reduced pressure on one side of the piston 8, causing this piston to move in its cylinder, whereupon the shaft 6 will swing the valve 5 into closed position. The speed of the engine Will thus be reduced and as soon as the governor 2| reduces the position shown in Figure 6, and the valve 5 will be wide open.

With this arrangement, I provide a very sensitive speed controller and also one in which the speed of the motor is not reduced at low speeds of the vehicle.

For example, in climbing a hill in the lower gears, the speed of the motor can be maintained as necessary.

Having described my invention, I claim:

In a vehicle speed controller, an air motor including an oscillative piston, a shaft, said piston being mounted on the shaft and oscillating the same as the piston moves, said shaft being attachable to a motor control valve, an intake o valve on the motor, said intake valve being adapted and arranged to control the oscillating movement of the piston, a speed sensitive device,

' including a fly ball governor, a spool engageable and movable by the fly ball governor, a shaft on which the spool is slidably mounted, a link, one end of which engages the spool, said link extending to the intake valve and engaging said intake valve whereby the intake valve is opened and closed as the speed sensitive device operates.

CLAUDE A. VA'I'I'ER. 

